This archive report was first published on 7 July 2019.
On July 7, 2019, Iran announced its intention to breach the uranium enrichment cap set by the 2015 nuclear deal, citing a failure by remaining signatory countries to keep their promise to help Iran work around US sanctions.
According to President Hassan Rouhani, the planned move is in response to the US's unilateral withdrawal from the deal in May 2018 and the subsequent re-imposition of sanctions.
The 2015 deal, reached between Iran and six world powers, saw Iran agree to drastically scale down its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
However, the US began re-imposing sanctions in August 2018, targeting crucial sectors including oil exports and the banking system, fuelling a deep recession in Iran.
The uranium enrichment cap, set at 3.67 percent, is sufficient for power generation but far below the more than 90 percent level required for a nuclear warhead.
Rouhani stressed that Iran's action would be reversed if the other parties provided relief from the US sanctions, and that Iran's policies are not meant to 'hurt' the deal, but to 'preserve' it.
France has warned Tehran that it would 'gain nothing' by leaving the deal and has said 'challenging the agreement would only increase tensions' in the Middle East.
Iran says it is not violating the deal, citing terms of the agreement allowing one side to temporarily abandon some of its commitments if it deems the other side is not respecting its part of the accord.
